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Nikola Motor Company Sues Tesla Over Patent Infringement

In the latest in a long list of lawsuits against Elon Musk, car maker Tesla has just been sued by Nikola Motor Company over allegedly copying the patents for its new hydrogen-powered hybrid semi-truck designs.

Reported by Newswire, the similarly named companies will potentially be duking it out in an Arizona courtroom in the near future, as Nikola alleges that Tesla's recent announcement for electric semi-trucks is a violation of six patents the company has already been issued for various design elements on their planned vehicle. They seek $2 billion in damages for this.

Tesla, of course, claims this isn't true, saying there's "no merit" to the lawsuit. On the opposite end, Nikola declined to comment to news sources, leaving the lawsuit as their statement. In the document, Nikola outlines the various similarities between the plans for their own truck and Tesla's newest design, citing features like the fuselage and windshield designs and door placements.

Not only that, Nikola alleges that Tesla recruiter Aaron Hoyos tried to convince their chief engineer to work for the competition shortly after the hybrid truck was announced. If this claim is provable, it could potentially add a good deal more weight to the company's accusations.

Prior to the lawsuit being issued, Nikola had sent a cease and desist letter to Tesla after finding various leaked photographs of the competitor's own hybrid semis online back in 2017. Tesla clearly ignored this, as they went ahead with their announcement despite being asked not to. While the outcome of the case remains to be seen, neither company appears to be willing to back down.

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